Keeping her on a Leash
by Couatl
Summary: Exactly what the title suggests. Natsuki makes a bet with Shizuru, and wins - but what's more interesting are the stakes. Kaichou-san has to go to school with an extra accessory around her neck now.
1. Gambling

Disclaimer: I don't own Mai HiME. I own Sunrise though. Hahahaha, right.

Note: As an apology for those who reviewed **Home**, I present a series chockfull of _pointless fluff_.

--

_When Shizuru gets too rowdy, you have to resort to_

**Keeping her on a Leash**

Chapter One - Gambling

* * *

There were times when Kuga Natsuki felt that she held the upper hand over Fujino Shizuru. Granted, there were few, but she realised that it was quite simple to wrap Shizuru around her thumb. But although this might be the case, most of the time, Shizuru would cause her plan to backfire first. Still, there were times.

Unfortunately, this was not one of those times.

"Mou, Natsuki, how could you be as sly as to replace the bath soap bottle with the mayo one?"

Her face was starting to heat up, and titters were heard from the group. Chie was recording it down, but since Natsuki was too busy trying to stop her cheeks from burning up, she didn't notice. Mai was grinning foolishly, leaving Mikoto looking confused, as usual.

"It was nice of Natsuki to offer to help me remove the sticky substance though."

Nao, who was sitting at the far end of the table, snorted and snickered at the same time. How she managed to pull off that feat was insignificant. Aoi and Chie looked as if they were about to burst into rude snickers, while Mai had to clasp both hands over her mouth to stop from laughing out loud.

"But Natsuki, your toun –" Shizuru was cut off immediately.

"Shi-Shi-Shizuru!" Natsuki screamed, unintentionally drawing the attention of the whole school.

The students were not exactly pleased to be suddenly interrupted in the middle of their lunch break, but were more than satisfied to see a stuttering and blushing Kuga. Noticing that it appeared to be their Kaichou who had caused this side of Fuka's Ice Queen to come out, excited whispers coursed throughout the entire student body.

Mikoto wondered whether it was impolite to snatch their abandoned lunches.

"What is it, Natsuki?"

A firm grip was secured on her clothed arm, the fabric pressed against her skin due to the pressure applied. Natsuki then proceeded to drag Shizuru away from the disappointed spectators, while the latter kept her mildly amused expression throughout the whole ordeal.

Chie leaned towards the direction in which they had disappeared as much as possible without falling off her chair, eager to at least try catching their conversation on her voice recorder. As the rest of Fuka Academy observed the block which Shizuru and Natsuki were behind, waiting to see when they would reappear, Mikoto had a buffet.

"Shizuru, what are you doing here?"

"You mean I'm not allowed to visit my Natsuki during lunch?"

"Yes! Er, I mean, no! But stop teasing me in front of everyone!"

"But it's true. Natsuki _did _substitute the bath foam for the mayo."

"N-n-no! I did no such thing!"

Shizuru cast an incredulous stare at her blue-haired friend, unconvinced. Natsuki cracked under her disapproving look almost immediately, and she began to doubt her own knack for stubbornness. If it wasn't Shizuru she was facing as an opponent, she would still be arguing with whoever it was until one of them fell asleep.

"Fine! I admit it! I swapped the mayo bottle for the body wash bottle when you were bathing!"

A chorus of squeals followed right after her sentence ended, accompanied with a gleeful shout of affirmative from a certain someone equipped with a voice recorder. Natsuki, realising what she had just shouted in the presence of the entire Fuka Academy, could have died right then and there due to the massive heat energy summoned in her nervous system.

There was the clattering of cutlery, and she could tell that some of the more obnoxious fangirls of Shizuru had just been held back by interested students. Giving an involuntary sigh of relief, Natsuki was once again grateful for the consideration of her friends. However, due to her carelessness, she would have to watch her step from now on. And just when she was beginning to grow out of her paranoia too.

"Ara …" It was all Shizuru could say before succumbing to a minor fit of giggles.

Natsuki scowled, but it was likened more to a cute pout rather than an intimidating facial stance. Her mind struggled to come up with some way to get back at her crimson-eyed companion, but seemed to be failing rather miserably. Even that good-for-nothing organ that resided in her skull abandoned her when it came to this fiend.

The bell rang, announcing the end of the lunch break and saving Natsuki's skin as she dashed off to leave a chuckling Shizuru behind.

It was just too bad it couldn't save her from the interrogation of a few friends, even though that was definitely much better than in incur a certain someone's wraith.

"Spill it, Natsuki! What happened back there?"

Mai grinned sweetly, but that malicious glint in her eyes revealed her evil intent. Chie, waving her voice recorder about enthusiastically, and Aoi brought up the rear of this formidable army. Not to mention Mikoto, who wasn't present, but would be at a mere call from the orange-haired general. Natsuki gulped, her left eye twitching as they awaited her turn in the game of war.

"N-nothing at all!" She nearly groaned at the lack of a proper excuse.

"Oh, then what about that passionate speech you made?" Mai's toothy smile widened.

With Chie's nimble fingers pushing at the buttons on her voice recorder, a crisp chorus of 'Fine! I admit it! I swapped the mayo bottle for the body wash bottle when you were bathing!' soon erupted from the device. The class was unsuccessful at holding back their hysterical laughter, but Natsuki was too mortified to give them the eviler-than-evil eye.

Seeing that the emerald-eyed girl was desperately trying to withhold her volcanic explosion, another cruel smirk was given to her as Chie upped the volume and replayed it, casting an amplified version of the humiliating sentences which Natsuki swore could be heard by the entire Fuka Academy. She could almost detect the whimsical chortles of a Kyoto-ben, and was horrified to find herself wishing that she was there to see the happy expression on her face.

"Argh! Since you already knew what happened, why still ask for it?" Natsuki growled.

"Oooh, a confession. Now we've got some solid evidence." Chie cooed, eyes narrowing.

Natsuki was very sure that she had never known a more appropriate time for the teacher to enter the classroom and begin the lesson.

But instead of listening to the rambling of their teacher, Natsuki was preoccupied with whacking her brain to think of vengeance. Some sort of punishment absolutely had to be dealt to anyone who had embarrassed her, although Shizuru would be a special case. As everyone knew, the light-goldenrod-haired girl usually rendered anyone who went up against her defenceless.

She would have to do a great amount of serious concentrating if she was to beat Shizuru, but she was determined to get the desired results. Natsuki was hellbent on turning the tables of their zero to thirty-seven hundred and forty-six scores though, even if it meant cooperating with her mind. She was by no means stupid, and was in fact quite intelligent, but Natsuki found it hard to do so.

She decided to contemplate it while Shizuru was at her apartment.

"Doesn't she have _any_ weaknesses?" Natsuki hollered, her fingers clenching and unclenching from frustration.

"Ara, doesn't _who_ have any weaknesses?" A sultry voice whispered, slender arms snaking around her neck in a hug.

"Erm, the final boss at the last stage of a video game!" Natsuki lied, doing a mental high-five.

"Hmm?" Shizuru breathed into her ear, eliciting a full-fledged flush from her victim.

"Natsuki knows that Natsuki is my only weakness." She continued when there was no reply, enjoying the sight of the reddening girl.

The seemingly innocent sentence triggered a railway for her train of thought, and sudden inspiration flooded her mind in a massive wave as large as the quantity of food Mikoto could stomach. Natsuki's blush was dispersed, much to Shizuru's disappointment, as an impish grin spread across her face. Resisting the urge to release a series of evil guffaws, she turned to face a perplexed Kaichou-san.

"Shizuru, let's have a bet." She suggested, taking on a noncommittal tone.

"What on?" Her hooded eyes gleamed with interest and curiosity.

"Whether I can make you blush in front of the whole Fuka Academy."

Shizuru was instantly intrigued with the idea, for Natsuki to suddenly be so confident in a win. The dark-cobalt-haired girl only smiled, but her heart was bouncing in excitement and her mind reeled in anticipation of what she was going to do tomorrow. Even if it involved a huge risk and a massive amount of confirmed mockery, she felt that it was well worth it.

The flaxen-haired girl registered Natsuki's words, eyes flashing with suspicion as she wondered what she had in mind. Well, whatever Natsuki had planned, she had a feeling she would enjoy, if she was to blush at what Natsuki would do. If her predictions were correct, then Natsuki would have been extremely successful – although Natsuki wouldn't dare, would she?

"And what are the stakes?" She asked, knowing that Natsuki meant business regarding this bet.

If it was even possible, Natsuki's already intense smirk brightened considerably. How she relished occupying the seat of authority! Being able to name any prize while knowing that you have already won was a fantastic feeling, indeed. Realising that this was a situation not easily chanced upon, she decided upon choosing something equivalent to the rarity of the circumstances.

Her mind began running a slideshow of probable choices, equally thrilled. Natsuki reviewed each and every prospect, filing those she deemed commendable in a folder she kept in the many crevices of her head. As much as she would have liked it, she knew that Shizuru would not relent to being her eternal slave. Neither would she stop teasing her – Natsuki knew that she would never give that up. For reasons unknown to her, Shizuru was addicted to doing just that.

No matter what, it must be something comparable to the years of chagrin Shizuru put her through.

"Why don't you pick your reward first?" Natsuki tried, grappling for time.

"Natsuki has to wear a sexy dress to that dance Reito-san insisted on organising."

"What!" Natsuki would have spat out the mayo sandwich she was eating, if she actually had been eating one.

"Take it or leave it." Shizuru shrugged dismissively, undaunted by the outburst.

"Fine." Natsuki countered, refusing to lose. "And as for my prize… well, I've always wanted a pet."

Shizuru's brow rose in an elegant arch, surprised by Natsuki's selection. To be brutally honest, it appealed to her as well – there seemed to be nothing severe involved, other than a bit of money spent. Natsuki did not notice her delight, however, and remained blissfully oblivious as her own mind generated thoughts of finally defeating Shizuru.

"Agreed." Shizuru sealed the deal before Natsuki could change her mind, not that she was going to.

--

The following day, Natsuki set up her preparations.

She had gone through great pains to impale thirty-six alarm clocks on the ceiling, where she would have more difficulty reaching and therefore destroying any objects fastened to, waking up shrieking and screaming. But a smile was soon fixed into place as the muddle was cleared from her apologetic mind and her expectations of that day were recalled.

Before heading off to school, she drove to a convenient pet store to purchase the necessary items she would need for her soon-to-be-gained pet. Spinning a collar on her index finger in impressive loops, she let it cease to a dangle as she slipped the flexible band into her jacket pocket. A long, black leash soon joined it.

Her Ducati roared into life as she grasped the handles steadily, dutifully sending her off to Fuka. Her mind whirled at a pace matching that of her motorcycle, knowing that the obsession with trouncing Shizuru was getting a little out of paw but doing nothing to stop it. She deserved at least a few minutes of elation, didn't she?

It didn't take long for the rest of the HiME crew to notice her smug smirk that was strongly plastered amidst her devious expression, and started questioning her about it. All of them were batted away with shrewd 'you'll see's and left slightly disheartened, except for Shizuru whom Natsuki provided a positive grin that somehow resulted in several indigent shouts from the shorter girl.

It was already too late when they found out what Natsuki was plotting.

Kaichou-san was entirely unprepared.

Natsuki literally flew from her seat and pranced to the door when the bell sounded, proclaiming the start of the lunch break. Her classmates keeled over from shock at the change of attitude, causing a few of them to suffer from mild head concussions. Sharp eyes instantaneously spotted her target, and she walked towards the unknowing objective.

Fangirls spread apart to form a pathway, eyeing the dark-sapphire-haired girl with grudging respect.

"Shizuru, remember our little bet from yesterday?" Natsuki started, approaching her from behind. The group from yesterday tagged behind, truly fascinated with the enigmatic confrontation.

"Of course." Shizuru answered, not turning around as she slowed down to let Natsuki catch up.

"I make my move." Natsuki wrapped her arms around the taller girl, pulling her into an embrace as she rested her chin on her shoulder. "And it's an instant win."

The crowd of Shizuru-sama worshippers all believed that they could die happy from the rare and astonishing sight of their idol in a flustered state. They fainted in unison, collapsing into a limp heap on the flooring. They will not wake until much later, when Suzushiro Haruka chanced upon them. Cue sympathetic looks from Aoi and Mai.

Chie groaned once she recovered from the scene, realising that she had just missed an extraordinary opportunity as the blush was viciously whipped off from her face.

But Natsuki had rehearsed for this.

"You know that _your_ Natsuki thinks that 'stunningly gorgeous' is an understatement when you blush, Kaichou-san."

It proved to be a historical moment for Fuka Academy.

After they had all recuperated, Shizuru included, Natsuki demanded her reward.

"Ara, assuming that you want a dog," The burgundy-eyed girl assented, wondering if she should be dismayed or amused by the events that had taken place. "What breed do you want?"

The sadistic smirk she donned broadened further, the mischievous spark in her emerald eyes flaring up. Some shrank away from the sheer conviction pouring out of her in dominating waves, pulsating throughout the school compound and coming close to brainwashing the other, innocent students of Fuka Academy that were entirely irrelevant to the matter at hand.

"Yes, definitely a dog." Natsuki began, rubbing her palms against each other comically.

"The type of dog I want has light gold hair." She described meticulously.

"Fur, you mean." Shizuru remarked, still somewhat affected by the prior performance.

"I suppose you could say it that way." Natsuki replied mysteriously, voice dancing with unrestrained mirth. "She would have unusual eyes."

"Would you be more specific?" Shizuru played along. "Name the colour, at least."

"An enthralling, deep red." Natsuki responded with a straight face. "And she is addicted to tea."

Getting at what she was implying, Chie, Aoi and Mai gawked in disbelief. Mikoto, knowing that this was an important situation not to be disturbed by frantic and persistent bawling for something to quell her never-ending hunger, kept quiet although baffled.

The winner fished a dark purple article out of her pocket, verifying their doubts.

"Slip this on, Shizuru-_chan_." Natsuki ordered, handing the collar to the addressee. "You're to be my new pet."

Another historical moment for Fuka Academy occurred, twice in the same day.

* * *

Surprise!

I bet everyone saw through that, so, bah!  
Well, yes, I was surprised that something like this hasn't be posted here yet. Maybe it's just my poor searching skills :D


	2. Wagering

Disclaimer: Isn't this pretty redundant? No, I don't.

Note: Apology accepted? :D

--

_Because chains are unsightly –_

**Keeping her on a Leash**

Chapter Two - Wagering

* * *

Natsuki was careless. She did not think that Shizuru would use the soap-swapped-with-mayonnaise incident as teasing ammunition against her, and it led to unspeakable volumes of shame, as they all usually did. She was quite used to them though, and Shizuru always made up for it later.

Natsuki was careless. She had not considered the consequences of her epic win, the thought had not even crossed her mind – she had underestimated the crimson-eyed girl. She would find out, rest be assured, in due time, that her seemingly marvellous actions were reeking of vulnerabilities for her new dog to take advantage of.

Natsuki was careless. There was one thing should have at least been apparent to her, but in this case, it was not. She did not pause to reflect upon the situation, did not stop to first mull over the possible implications, did not look before she leapt, and now, she was going to pay for it. Rather dearly.

News, especially those as interesting, spread like wildfire.

With the assistance of Harada Chie, wildfire was disgraced and tornados of rumours swallowed up Fuka Academy.

Shizuru stood there patiently as Natsuki examined her, sporting the violet collar that was evidence of her triumph. Even with the degrading item around her neck, that naturally elegant air about her was not at all diminished. Her dark-cobalt-haired owner was not at all surprised that the grace she held was not humbled in the merest bit – she did not plan to tame her pet.

"So, Natsuki-_sama_, see anything that you like?"

Natsuki beamed at her new title, the rush of excitement overwhelming her mind as she completely ignored Mai's comment on how boys would be falling left and right for her if she looked like that all the time. She even disregarded the taunting tone in her question, treating the 'sama' as the word with the most emphasis.

Fingering the coarse but high-quality strap in her pocket, she figured that Shizuru could be trusted to keep to her end of the bargain and chose not to clip the leash on her as of yet. Natsuki was not necessarily a cruel person at heart, and did not see much point to dragging her best friend around by the throat. Besides, she was sure that Shizuru would manage to twist it into some perverted joke.

"Yes. But it's time for lunch, Shizuru-chan."

She strolled towards the designated lunch area, expecting her dog to trail after her at once. Shizuru followed her with a shrug directed to the other former HiMEs, not at all bothered by the turnaround of control. It was unprecedented, but her calm character made no room for her to be ruffled by it – instead, she was quite content being Natsuki's pet.

It meant that Natsuki was her owner. _Her _owner.

Dog was planning to seat at the region claimed by those of her year, but was promptly dissuaded by owner and not so much as forced to sit at her table. Mai, Mikoto, Chie, Aoi and even Nao filtered into the group, and those who had witnessed the most recent historical moment of Fuka took the liberty to explain everything to a grinning and very amused Nao.

"A role reversal?" Nao commented, smirking viciously.

The corners of Natsuki's mouth started twitching violently, but ceased their frolicsome dance when Mai shot her a warning glance. Shizuru simply brought out her bento, consuming it in that polished way that seemed unbecoming of someone who held the position of being the emerald-eyed girl's dog. Natsuki was much less self-conscious when she wolfed her Totally-Obnubilated-by-Mayonnaise Object (Edible), otherwise known as TOMOE, down.

"I won a bet." Natsuki rebutted curtly, refusing to be upset over an insult.

"So you're the dog's dog now, Fujino?" Nao addressed the taller girl.

"Woof." Shizuru deadpanned, but was obviously in a cheerful mood.

Those sitting at that table laughed at the indirectly blunt admission, ignoring the stares they were receiving from the other students, who immediately noted of the collar Kaichou-san sported. Quite a fair number of Shizuru-sama Fangirls, who had overheard the conversation and were not part of the group that were about to be woken up rather rudely by Haruka, charged forward, furious with such treatment directed to Shizuru-sama.

"Kuga-san, how dare you force Kaichou-sama into doing this?" Their leader screeched as her arms flailed wildly, struggling to control her temper.

"Ara, Natsuki did not force me to be her pet, Shoura-san." Shizuru leapt to her owner's defence, as loyal as ever.

"Then … why would you wear that willingly, Kaichou-sama?" Shoura-san asked timidly, flushing with pride from the fact that Shizuru remembered her name but was dismayed by her idol's choice in standing by Natsuki's side. The Mai HiME cast present coughed and wondered if she was bipolar.

"Natsuki and I made a bet, but I lost, most unfortunately. I have to stick to the deal, don't I?" Shizuru explained fluidly, somehow managing to slip a noble tone into her voice.

"Absolutely!" Shoura-san exclaimed in awe, her adoration for Kaichou-sama rising up several scales.

Behind her, squeals of 'Kaichou-sama is so honourable!' could be heard, and the horde of Shizuru fangirls had their own levels of admiration for Kaichou-sama shoot up a fair number of scales. Those seated at the table chuckled sheepishly, wondering just how adept Shizuru was at manipulation. The most probable answer was a strong 'very', as can be safely inferred through the starry-eyed students. The supposedly immovable crowd even dispersed after a couple of polite words from their precious Kaichou-san.

Turning back to her meal, Shizuru picked up her ornamental chopsticks, lightly tapping them twice on the table to align them nicely, selected a sushi and inserted it past her peach-hued lips. Natsuki reminded herself not to stare like a prudently dumbfounded fool and continued to consume her TOMOE messily, only taking care in handling the mayonnaise.

"Don't worry, Natsuki. I still intend to persuade you into a dress to that dance."

"Bwhaaaaat!" Natsuki spluttered at her offhanded comment.

"Force will be applied if necessary." Shizuru added, and Natsuki swore that there was a tint of malice in it.

"Out of the question!" Natsuki protested, trying to regain her grasp of authority. "A dog can't order its master around!"

Natsuki was careless. She had forgotten something else as well. Shizuru had an incredible knack for manipulation, but the thing she did not account for was that those supreme skills extended to word-wise concepts too. She should have known it from the beginning, especially with all the experience she had regarding them, but unfortunately for her, she had been too absorbed in her victory.

"Ara, then do I have to beg?" Shizuru did not hesitate, curling her fingers to form paws.

"Sh-Shizuru! Behave!" Natsuki yelped, before she could pull off the pleading stunt.

"Hai, Natsuki-sama." She smiled innocently, seeming to sprout an angelic halo right there and then.

Natsuki clenched her fist grimly as a fanatic cry of 'Shizuru-sama can be so kawai too!' came from a distance, and her nerves bulged further as a shout of 'Kuga-san sure looks fierce!' followed shortly. She drew the line at 'Don't they look cute together?' from someone who obviously wasn't one of Shizuru's fangirls, and practically snapped the pencil in half. Figuratively speaking, of course.

If that pencil wasn't imaginary, she would have brained that idiot with pointy lead already.

Fortunately, the last person who spoke had already been put on the blackmail list, judging from the looks she received from several members from Shizuru's fan club. Natsuki doubted that her dog would agree to being set off at that gormless fool. Shizuru wasn't really the type for brutal, 'primitive' violence, although her own methods were probably ten times more lethal.

Wasn't it freaky to know that your dog was probably smarter than you?

Wasn't it freakier to know that, and that she was out to get back at you?

Wasn't it yet freakier to know that, that, and that her winning rate in the matches between the two of you was thirty-seven hundred and forty-six times more than yours?

Yes, very. Natsuki would have to tread lightly and cautiously from now on, for her road was currently paved with rabid Shizuru-worshippers, friends with teasing ammo, and, worse of all, Shizuru herself. Oh, joy – even her dog was bordering on the opposite side. Life really was beautiful, especially so to those against her. Apparently, so was retribution.

Natsuki fiddled with the leash in her pocket. She would save it for a better time.

--

According to Shizuru, who was backed up by the rest of the Mai HiME cast – even Midori, entirely unrelated, gave her utmost support – eagerly, she absolutely had to bring her puppy home with her. Shizuru's 'Natsuki is planning to make me sleep outside on your doorstep?' was the last straw, and she found herself not only a pet that day, but a roommate as well.

Natsuki was careless. Shizuru's wonderful manipulation abilities seemed to overpass the extent of tuning bad situations to her favour – frankly speaking, the entire dog business slowly seemed to turn beneficial for her, instead of the expected disadvantageous. Natsuki knew that sooner or later, the collar would be brought up, and Shizuru would mention that she didn't know Natsuki was into kinky stuff.

"Shizuru, I don't think dogs drink tea." The blue-haired girl explained, trying to keep a straight face.

"I've never heard of that one." Shizuru pouted, spurred on by her owner's growing smirk.

"It's kind of like a dogs-can't-eat-chocolate kind of thing." Natsuki replied readily. "Trust me."

Thankfully, Shizuru halted her retorts, even though she refused to believe that eating mayonnaise was exceptionally healthy for canines – she couldn't win everything, could she? To the very least, she could finally begin her much anticipated How-Long-Can-Shizuru-Last-Without-Tea project. She could use the results as evidence to support her case when in a battle on who was more addicted to mayo or tea, correspondingly.

And that was why her dog was now emptying the contents of a glass in place of the customary china tea mug, the milk carton wobbling on its crooked bottom on the wooden table in front of her. 'Knock yourself out,' Natsuki had said. 'Duran used to sit at the table too.'

"Alright, I'm going to take a shower now." The azure-haired girl frowned. "Stay."

Shizuru nodded, walking over to the sink to rinse the glass. Unsurprisingly, she found thirteen weeks worth of dirty dishes in the basin, although, to be fair, most of them were merely smeared with some mayonnaise and would be easy to clean. Making a mental note to tell Natsuki that she should remember that the kitchen sink wasn't a dumping pit, Shizuru set to work clearing the basin filled with various plates.

Seeing that Shizuru appeared to be occupied, Natsuki sent one last suspicious glance in her direction before gathering her clothes, towel, and other assorted necessities for her shower, eventually entering the bathroom. When the sliding door was opened, however, the crimson-eyed girl was sitting right outside – slender fingers curving in to shape paws, head cocked, donning a hopeful expression.

"Natsuki didn't say that I had to stay _in the kitchen_." Shizuru said slyly, dropping the pitiful-lost-puppy look and taking up a joyful one.

"Bad dog." Natsuki found her smile infectious, and didn't have the heart to reprimand her.

Shizuru laughed softly before getting up – since walking on all fours was inconvenient and foolish – to follow her owner, who was heading towards the living room. Natsuki laid the slim leather suitcase, which contained the things that Shizuru brought along to her house, on the floor carefully. Gingerly pushing the knobs into place to spring the suitcase open, she hastily avoided being smacked in the face by the speeding lid.

"It's your turn." Natsuki rummaged around in the baggage, handing items that Shizuru would need for a bath to her pet.

She was replied with a blank expression, and silence. The two engaged in a staring spar.

"Aren't owners meant to bathe their dogs?" Shizuru deadpanned, looking pointedly at her owner.

Natsuki froze, mind struck by a bolt of lightning shock. Her face soon accommodated an interesting mixture of fear, astonishment, annoyance and despair. It was quickly wiped off and replaced with an apprehensive expression. As much as she entertained the idea of having an Ultimate View of Fujino Shizuru™, she was instantly swarmed with the prospects of things that could go wrong.

Therefore, the emerald-eyed girl settled for the quickest way out – racing to her bedroom and frantically locking the door. In there, she feverishly kicked her _ero-ero_ thoughts far, far away before daring to even take a breath. Soon, an argument between her vibrant imagination and herself was set into motion.

"I was only joking, Natsuki-sama." A gentle knock on the door caught her attention. Quiet footsteps led away from her bedroom door, and Natsuki heard the sliding door to the bathroom close.

Exhaling, Natsuki unlocked the door hesitantly. She peered out cautiously, taking a few steps out from the safety of her bedroom. Seeing that the coast was clear, Natsuki heaved a sigh of relief. Her breath was cut short when she noticed Shizuru's towel resting on the arm of the sofa. The lilac fabric sat there brazenly, openly taunting her with its very existence.

Right then, one thing registered in her brain – Shizuru did not bring her towel along to her shower.

This quickly branched into two thoughts – take it to her, and or leave it there.

Those two thoughts generated fields of unquestionable logic. Honestly, Natsuki would rather leave it there. But that meant that Shizuru would come out dripping wet and fully unclothed to search for the missing towel, and Natsuki would prefer not to have to deal with that. She reluctantly picked up the towel, and tried to ignore the fact that it smelled nice.

Hoping that her entrance could not be heard over the sound of the running water, Natsuki pulled the sliding door open slowly and tentatively. Creeping into the bathroom as noiselessly as possible, Natsuki gave a yelp of surprise when she was ambushed by a burgundy-eyed monster. Apparently, Shizuru had been waiting for her all along, and the towel was just a trap to lure her in.

Natsuki was flat on her back on the cold bathroom floor, her dog sitting on top of her and pinning her arms down. She was pleasantly surprised that Shizuru was actually quite light, and maybe even disappointed that her dog was still in her attire. Rapidly banishing the perverted part of her mind to the far end of her head, she scowled, but it seemed more endearing than intimidating.

"You had been planning this all along." Natsuki accused, finding it hard to retain her glower.

"Of course." Shizuru answered plainly, laughter dancing in her deep red eyes.

Natsuki rolled her eyes, and shot a smirk at her assailant.

"Bad dog."

Shizuru mock-growled, then feigned a hurt expression as she let Natsuki go. The shorter girl averted her eyes from the scene before she fell for it and climbed back up on her feet, dusting the seat of her pants casually. Natsuki gestured to the shower, moving towards the sliding door.

"Bathtime. Now." She commanded, stalking out of the bathroom. "Good dog."

Later that night, Natsuki crawled into her bed wearily. Slipping under the covers, she plonked her head on a comfortable pillow and prepared to drift off to Mayoland. Her sleep was disrupted, much to her agitation, when a presence made itself known on her bed.

"Shizuru?" She blinked tiredly, attempting to see in the darkness in her state without much success.

The figure nestled between the folds of the blanket nicely, and Natsuki could feel its soothing body warmth. Owner smiled unintentionally before falling back on her pillow, hand making its way down the sheets. It made contact with flaxen tresses, and patted her dog's head reassuringly.

Shizuru wriggled higher up into the touch, her shoulders now above Natsuki's waist. The hand now stroked her gently, and Shizuru would not be the least bit ashamed to say that she was enjoying every minute – no, every _second_, of it.

"Now, sleep." Natsuki ordered, placing her hand on Shizuru's head.

"Woof." Shizuru obeyed.

* * *

I've created Natsuki x TOMOE! I ought to be shot.

Wow, I didn't expect so many reviews for just one chapter. Thanks! Sorry for the long wait – I've been quite busy with all the mumbo jumbo in my life right now. School is reopening, and I haven't done a shred of my holiday homework. Wish me luck.

On a side note, **Chimera** is on hold because I don't have the time to commit to it right now although I'm unwilling to give up on some ideas I had for it. I'll probably be starting to write a new story after this chapter.

Once again, thank you very much for the reviews! I'm honoured by the staggering number.


	3. Small Chips

Disclaimer: I should scratch this out completely.

Note: I haven't been shot yet! Yes, I taunt you.

--

_Taking "I'm Duran!" to a whole new level,_

**Keeping her on a Leash**

Chapter Three – Small Chips

* * *

"… Where did you get those?" Natsuki coughed, an agitated palm pressed unto her forehead.

"Ara, Tokiha-san demanded that I wear them." Shizuru replied gleefully, sporting a pair of fluffy dog-ears – as presented to her from Mai's generous costume collection.

A glorious silence followed, accompanying the irritated growling of the owner and the cheerful smile that her loyal canine wore so brightly on her face. The shorter of the two – quite unusual for a pair in master and dog roles – averted her gaze from her pet, taking special care to avoid the sight of the extra appendages poking out from the threads of flowing, flaxen fur.

"She mentioned something about 'getting Alyssa-chan to fix it so that it could do all sorts of real dog-ear poses', and that she needed to find the matching tail." Shizuru added helpfully.

Right there and then, Kuga Natsuki vowed to mercilessly murder Tokiha Mai, for the seven-hundred and thirteenth time already. The roll of deeds her orange-haired friend was getting on her blackmail list was reaching an unbearable amount, although Natsuki could be tolerant when she needed to, which would prove useful in her current conditions.

The dark-haired girl feverishly stormed up various ways to busy Shizuru before she fell into a lapse of embarrassment which would doubtlessly be sparked from the dangerous boredom of a certain pup – and this time, it wasn't referring to Natsuki herself. She drummed her fingers on her head inaudibly, hoping that it would somehow aid the thinking process.

"We're going to the park." Natsuki decided, triumphantly slamming her fist on the table at which she sat.

"What for, Natsuki-_sama_?" Shizuru inquired innocently, and her master swore that her dog-ears quivered in apprehension.

With a knowing smirk, Natsuki pressed her faithful canine's head down gently as a common gesture for her to stay put, and walked over to her bedroom to collect something. A minute or so of furious unpacking, the hurling of items around and Shizuru casually sighing because she knew that she would have to do something about the state of disarray the bedroom would be put into, Natsuki emerged with a coloured plate.

"Tell me, Shizuru-_chan_, what do you think this is?" Natsuki beamed, proudly waving the disc around.

"A badly-crafted steering wheel." Shizuru answered quickly, tone thickly laced with lighthearted sarcasm. "The bottom half of a pie tin. The lid of Tokiha-san's pot with the handles chopped off."

"Really, Shizuru-chan, your banter amuses me so." Natsuki rebutted just as swiftly, now tossing the circular piece of plastic from one hand to the other.

"Natsuki-sama can juggle?" The dog commented idly, regarding the spinning disc with disinterest. It was being carelessly transferred from one palm to another, tumbling in the air gracefully.

Silence permeated the room, while Natsuki's smug smirk only grew wider. Shizuru, finally convinced that she was being serious, shot her owner an incredulous look. The tables had been turned, rather abruptly, and the dark-cobalt-haired girl now had the upper hand. The pet inwardly groaned, but she still felt that whimpering was beneath her. Natsuki rejoiced.

The score was now thirty-seven hundred and forty-six to two.

"You want me to play a game of catch with a Frisbee?" Shizuru inquired skeptically.

"With your mouth." Natsuki added, clearly enjoying her present state of command over her dog.

Shizuru was forced to consider the whining and begging again, but still refused to sink to that level. Her master noticed the slight twitch her arched eyebrow, flittingly crumbling the delicateness of its position, and her grin broadened. The dog sat at the table, silent and unmoving, as if she had been petrified into a stone statue, her face blank and unresponsive.

"It's good exercise." Natsuki continued, now concerned. "I never see you participate in anything involving physical means, even in school when required to. How do you even get out of those tests?"

"I want to be a house pet." Shizuru sighed, flopping down lifelessly on the table, a pout etched unto her face. "And Natsuki-sama can pamper me all day."

"Lazy pooch." Natsuki remarked, taking on a soft smile. "Argh! Fine, you can be a toy dog if you want, but only after the game of Frisbee. And you'll have to catch it at least once!"

The burgundy-eyed girl agreed readily, and Natsuki peered at her suspiciously. She didn't expect her disobedient pup to give in that easily, and, knowing Fujino Shizuru, she probably had something up her sleeves. Her dog gave her a jovial grin that supported her innocence wholeheartedly, but Natsuki did not fall for the act. She was quite experienced in the behavioral habits of her remarkable pet.

Despite her Shizuru-inferential skills, the emerald-eyed girl had yet to come up with an appropriate explanation for her best friend's abrupt change of mood. Carefully avoiding Shizuru's expectant stare, she had no choice but to go along with the deal. Thus, it was not long before Kuga Natsuki and _her_ Fujino Shizuru found themselves in a rather empty park.

It was not to say that the park was bleary, however, for that would have been a far-cry from the real scenery it provided the two. Decorated with an immense population regarding a vast variety of flora, benches were lined with attractive ivy, colourful flowers sprouted from the lush grass, bushes were enhanced with a multitude of berries enough to make one believe that shrubbery was overrated.

"I can't do it, Natsuki-sama. It's too difficult." Shizuru exhaled, albeit ruefully.

Natsuki bent down, promptly snatching the Frisbee up from amongst the tall stalks of slender grass. The blades tickled her nose, and she pushed away the wispy strands before she unleashed a string of sneezes. Inwardly grumbling about the unkempt although beautiful area, she made her way back to her somewhat apologetic dog. Apparently, the place hadn't had visitors for quite some time already.

She was grateful though, for the absence of other people. She severely doubted that she would be able to withstand the queer looks she would receive in abundance from them, seeing as she was teaching a dog-eared girl how to seize a Frisbee by the mouth – or rather, her muzzle. Not that there was anything strange about trying to get your dog to do just that though, but Natsuki didn't expect them to understand.

"Look," she preached, pointing to the disc she held. "Any dog could do it. It's instinctual."

"Natsuki-sama seems to have forgotten that I am not just _any_ dog." Shizuru frowned knowingly.

"Just focus on your target." Natsuki ordered, choosing to ignore the mirthful gleam in her pet's eyes. "And capture it with your mouth. Go in for the kill!"

"Hai, Natsuki-sama." Shizuru answered eagerly. "Anything you say."

Natsuki had been surprised by Shizuru many, many times before. The numerous times had reached a dizzying quantity, and she, being no fool, had given up on actually counting them long ago. In fact, she would have been further surprised if Shizuru did not surprise her at least once every day. And that was why even if Shizuru had not surprised her, Natsuki was always indirectly surprised.

Natsuki knew that she had a certain lack of vocabulary, and she was also aware that 'surprised' was not always the best description for the surprising situations she found herself in with Shizuru. The crimson-eyed girl shocked, appalled, astonished, and gave her miniature heart attacks all the time. It would take more than a thesaurus to properly word such circumstances that her dog brought her.

And that was why Natsuki was surprised, yet not exactly surprised, when Shizuru leaned forward and caught her 'target' with her lips.

"Shizuru, you're supposed to catch the Frisbee!" Natsuki spluttered, heating up.

"Ara, I do believe that Natsuki told me to capture my target, and with my mouth as well. You did not mention anything about the Frisbee." Shizuru smiled disarmingly, and her master wondered if it was an illusion when she saw that one of her dog-ears was cocked realistically.

"What? No 'sama' anymore?" Natsuki retorted, hoping to effectively drive the attention away from her reddening features.

"Mm, you're spoilt." Shizuru let out a peal of laughter. "_Na-tsu-ki-sa-ma_, you look cute when you blush."

"Fujino Shizuru!" Natsuki hollered, her blush strengthening by tenfold.

"I love you too, Natsuki-_sama_." Her dog responded with a barrage of uncontrollable giggles.

It was little wonder why Kuga Natsuki avoided crowds, especially now that she had Shizuru.

--

"Golden Retriever." Aoi stated offhandedly, prodding a picture of said dog in the booklet Chie held.

"I beg to differ, Aoi. Finnish Spitz." Chie disagreed, casually leafing through her Guide to Dog Breeds.

Natsuki absentmindedly speculated whether her friends had anything better to do after school, but regrettably, they seemed to have a lot of free time to waste for the moment. Even Mai, usually busy with work, was staying back for a bit. Normally, even then, she should have been cooking for Mikoto, but the ever-hungry girl appeared to be more occupied. Surprisingly.

"Canaan!" Mikoto butted in, pronouncing the first name that she found simple to read.

"Kishu." Mai suggested, reaching over to flip the next subsequent pages impatiently. "It's Medium-sized and a native at least."

"Fujino-san looks like a foreigner anyway, Mai-san." Chie argued, stubbornly standing by her point.

The four crowded around the desk, browsing through the guide that Chie had brought to school. An exclamation concerning how fierce and big a dog was and squeals about how cute and small another was erupted from the group occasionally, while Natsuki tried to maintain a disinterested expression. The excited chattering from the team did not do much to ease her nerves.

Debate on what breed of dog Shizuru-san could have been was a favourite pastime in Fuka Academy, and the wide assortment of canines to discuss only made the interesting activity increasingly popular. The fame the hobby had had grown into an alarmingly large size, and there were even votes made on the topic. It was well-known to the student body that betting was taking place as well.

Such a diversion from proper procedures, and, not to mention, the school rules, made Suzushiro Haruka an irritated Executive Director. Upon knowing that it was largely due to her rival, and, though she would have never admitted it, good friend, she imprisoned Shizuru in the Student Council Room for a tedious session of long-winded berating that even Shizuru herself would have found a bit hard to get out of.

Natsuki fixed her overenthusiastic friends with a halfhearted glare, but it lacked the power to have the desired effect this time round. She missed her dog, even if she still bore a weak grudge against her for having to heed her every command and fuss over her after getting home from the park the day before. Never underestimate your dog, Natsuki now reasoned.

"There's nothing to bicker over. Shizuru is Shizuru." Natsuki scowled, head propped up by her palm.

"Fuka Academy's Ice Queen said something close to philosophical!" Chie exclaimed, wasting no time in whipping out a notepad and taking down what she had just said. "Even if in simple terms."

The rest of the gang, excluding Mikoto, gasped in mock-awe, and then burst into screams of laughter. Pumping in their fuel which largely consisted of evidence provided by a cunning Harada Chie, the girls, once again leaving out Mikoto, advanced towards Natsuki with evil intent. The dark-sapphire-haired girl was starting to regret opening her mouth, and backed away nervously.

Granted, Natsuki did manage to turn into several interesting shades of red, some to which one of her assaulters would chortle 'That face would rival Kaichou-san's eyes!' to result in the whole bunch snickering. Nevertheless, she knew quite well that only her dog would have been able to discreetly persuade the most extreme variation to expose itself.

Most unfortunately, Fujino Shizuru was unable to save her master as she was coping with her own problems. Haruka loomed over the wooden desk, eyeing the seated Kaichou with dissatisfaction. Her arms were folded over her chest, and it was this position that scared serial killers into submission. The person she was interrogating right now, however, remained unfazed, as always.

"Suzushiro-san, pets aren't allowed in school, are they not?" Shizuru questioned, happily sipping her tea now that her owner was nowhere in sight.

"Of coarse not!" Haruka roared, causing the furniture in the classrooms above to vibrate.

"It's 'course', Haruka-chan." Yukino tried – even if the two words were pronounced similarly, Yukino had developed an instinctual ability to differentiate between what Haruka said and what she actually meant.

"That's what I said!" Haruka rebutted confidently, not really understanding the discrepancy.

"Then, there is no dog in Fuka Academy. I'm sure a mere canine would not be able to escape your iron fist and farseeing eyes." Shizuru continued, undaunted. "Unless Suzushiro-san is implying that I'm a dog?"

"No!" Haruka denied truthfully, confusion trickling into the crevices of her brain.

"Good. And since the dog that you are referring to isn't real, then the students are gambling over a nonexistent thing. That is to say, they are betting over nothing. I don't see the problem." Shizuru sighed dramatically, the cup of tea nearing her mouth again.

Hence, Fujino Shizuru was released from the Student Council Room in a matter of minutes –

– And was promptly captured by Kuga Natsuki once the door was closed.

"Heel." Natsuki muttered, worn out from the vigorous harassment from her inquisitive friends.

Her trustworthy dog trailed after her obediently, donning a soft smile. It wasn't long before the odd pair found themselves outside the younger's apartment, motorcycle losing its constant hum as the engine died down. Helmets taken off and stored away safely, the two were now inside the messy – although neater since Shizuru cleaned it up now and then – place that was just recognizable under the miscellaneous objects Natsuki hadn't taken to tidying up yet.

The shorter of the two threw herself on her bed, rolling in the sheets lazily. Shizuru stood at the foot of the bed, casting an amused glance towards her master. Eventually, Natsuki halted in her chaotic ministrations upon her poor sleeping quarters and turned to her pet with an accusing stare, to which she responded with a broader smile.

"Shizuru, do my homework for me." Natsuki mumbled exasperatedly, burying her face into a pillow.

"Dogs don't do their owners' homework, Natsuki-sama." Shizuru replied plainly, her refusal indirect but clear.

"You're different." Natsuki pressed on, unwilling to lose and having to face the dire consequences – touching that evil mountain of assignments.

Shizuru looked at Natsuki sternly, and the emerald-eyed girl knew that she had been defeated from the start as those burgundy eyes bore into the back of her head purposefully. A groan resounded from the depths of the pillow, and Natsuki removed the comfortable mound from her face as she hopped off her bed reluctantly.

The light-goldenrod-haired female nodded approvingly as her friend gripped the ballpoint pen, but noticed that there was a lack of motivation as the girl fiddled with the pen unexcitedly. Shizuru was sharp, and even a fool could have been able to detect Natsuki's weakness for a certain substance. It was not the most appropriate method to lift her spirits, however, and she hesitated.

Gradually, the crimson-eyed canine walked into the kitchen with adverse determination. There was the noise of items and boxes being rearranged as she searched the cupboards, then the quiet sounds of mixed appliances being put to use, and the cling-clang of the porcelain plate placed on the table resonated from the room. Emerging from the kitchen with a small dish of something devastatingly unhealthy, Shizuru waved the TOMOE in Natsuki's face.

Swift hands shot out to get hold of the platter, but the other snatched it away too quickly. Natsuki stared at the air she clutched – so empty, so unfulfilled with the absence of Totally-Obnubilated-by-Mayonnaise-Object (Edible) – and huffed. Eyeing the TOMOE lustfully, she sharpened a pencil with a savage strength, all the while glaring fiercely at her dog.

"I have my own homework to do too, Natsuki-sama." Shizuru teased, setting aside the plate carefully, far from Natsuki's reach.

"Hmph." Natsuki stared wistfully, longingly at the delicacy that she relished so. "I shall punish you for this, Fujino Shizuru."

"Ara?" Shizuru displayed that infuriatingly attractive grin of hers, and her master didn't know what to think.

So, Natsuki settled for action instead.

The dark-cyan-haired girl abandoned her homework with delight, and pinned her canine against the wall in one fleeting movement. Shizuru probably could have broken out of the grip easily and told her master to finish up her work, but a mere look into those enticing, rich-green eyes and she was mesmerized into immobility. The master smirked devilishly.

Thirty-seven hundred and forty-six to three.

And Natsuki stole her breath away.

* * *

Apologies for the terrible delay!  
Thank you for the reviews! Getting past the fifty mark was awesome.  
I'll try to get around to replying them this time … Omake for you.

--

**Deleted Scenes (I)**

Shizuru: Natsuki-sama, I've heard that some people eat dogs.

Natsuki: I know. It's terrible! -rants-

Shizuru: Natsuki-sama, will you _eat_ me?

INNUENDO INNUENDO INNUENDO INNUENDO!


	4. Medium Chips

Note: Apparently, I really did scratch out the disclaimer. I don't want to own it anyway, until they get rid of Yuuichi.

_Who's the top dog?_

**Keeping her on a Leash**

Chapter Four - Medium Chips

* * *

Fujino Shizuru never had much of a conscience in the first place. As a matter of fact, she was even described to be 'the devil' at times, quote Natsuki. In response, Shizuru would say that _the_ devil was her master, and she herself was just _a_ devil who was conveniently dating _the_ devil.

Natsuki always gleefully took being called 'the devil' by Shizuru as praise. Of course, when Natsuki thought that she was the one on top, the dog would always, _always_ supply a casual 'Natsuki is my little devil.' While Natsuki fed on mayonnaise, Natsuki believed that Shizuru practically lived off teasing her. It was another quirk her puppy had.

And since Fujino Shizuru portrayed nothing related to the presence of an ethical judgment in her mind, she would gladly tease her mistress all day and night. Even if she could be guilty sometimes, when the situation was severe or when it concerned Natsuki, she certainly did not sacrifice some things just for the sake of a near nonexistent conscience.

That was why she made an effort to wake up earlier than her master did; there was something she simply was required to do.

It wasn't as if she couldn't give in to the sheer temptation, anyway.

Slipping out of the bed without a single sound, pertaining to her graceful nature, the dog lifted the covers up and shifted her legs out of the way. Placing the soft, warm, sweet-scented sheets back on the mattress, she successfully completed the first part of her mission. Gently transferring her weight from the mattress to the floor, she edged off the bed.

She turned her head to look behind her, and upon noticing that the other occupant of the bed the two had been sharing had not been aroused from her slumber, continued on her way. Although she wasn't the best of dogs in the smell department, the sweet aroma – indeed, sweeter than the sweet-scented sheets – drifting through the branches of air was unmistakable.

She would have given a triumphant chuckle, had she not feared the awakening of the other. If said other was roused from her sleep, it would mean definite trouble for the disobedient dog. However, she was a stubborn pup, and hence, marched forth towards her desired destination. It was a highly important routine, after all, which happened every day.

She just had to make sure her master did not catch her in the act. With such thoughts looming in her head, she gleefully disregarded them as she set out on the necessary quest. Granted, she could have survived without this activity, but it made mornings so much more pleasant. Though, it could be said that mornings could not get any more pleasant when spent with her master.

This, she believed of the daily habit, was significant beyond what anyone could ever imagine. How could such a simple task be of such importance? It was, to someone like Fujino Shizuru; and there was never anyone quite like Fujino Shizuru, nonetheless. That was what Kuga Natsuki firmly believed in, as well. Although it can be certain that her thousand and one fangirls would have said the same.

Rubbing her hands – no, _paws_ – together with unmasked delight – _menace,_ even – as she crossed the floor, the dog inched closer and closer to her targeted area. Devastatingly accurate, the girl leapt softly towards the place she fixated her sharp eyes on, giving a second glance to the bed to confirm that her master had not arisen from her dreams.

Her eyes widened then, as her gaze fell on the ticking alarm clock beside her master, seated nicely on the bedside table. Six thirty-seven. It was instructed to ring at six forty, if memory served her well. She crept over to the little table, the small drawers lining its frame, and deactivated the alarm. A relieved smile sneaked its way to her face, and she set the clock back down.

Turning around, she walked over once more; the closet. Fingers itching in anticipation, she reached her arm out tentatively and pulled the right closet door open. A cautious peek at her mistress, and, satisfied, she drew the left door open as well.

Aha, Natsuki-sama's lingerie!

Mission complete.

Shizuru was immersed in pure euphoria; one could never get enough of a good thing, such as these. They provided hours of entertainment, for Natsuki's collection seemed to go on and on into oblivion. Shizuru was amused by a few startling choices, making mental notes to ask Natsuki about them next time, when she was too _busy_ to wonder why Shizuru knew of their existence.

Her fun was suddenly interrupted when the disrupting sound of her owner rustling in the covers was heard, and she quickly stashed the undergarments back into the closet, closing the doors as quietly as she could while in a hurry – Natsuki was quite a light sleeper, the last time she checked, although she did have her wearier days.

"Mm, Shizuru?" A sleepy voice was delivered to her ears.

"Hai, Natsuki-sama?" She answered the call, cheerfully; she had not been caught, after all.

"You just woke up?" Natsuki queried, rubbing her eyes as she lazily threw a fraction of the blanket off herself in an attempt to get up.

"Hai." Shizuru pulled on a flawless smile – genuine, for obvious reasons; Natsuki's cute, drowsy look had never failed to please her.

"What time is it?" Her mistress yawned, crawling out of the bed groggily, and then remembered to follow her daily protocol. "Good morning, Shizuru."

"Good morning, Natsuki. It is about eight." The dog replied simply, opening the bedroom door with a soft click of the doorknob. "I'm going to get myself a drink."

She received a tired nod in return, and Natsuki drowned herself in the covers once more. A muffled 'hai' resounded underneath the sheets, as well as murmurings that Shizuru was certain were the berating Natsuki was giving herself to get up earlier and some 'five more minutes'.

Giggling, she stepped out of the bedroom and closed the door behind her, heading towards the kitchen. It would be best to leave the room for a bit. Shizuru wasn't worried, but she would have liked to get away while Natsuki had not gotten out of bed yet – she would be searching the bedroom later, Shizuru knew.

Humming happily, Shizuru reached into a cupboard and took out a white ceramic pot – from the top of its lid to the bottom of its base, it was decorated in a fine shower of swirling maple leaves. She had bought it back in Kyoto, and it had cost her quite a bit, although she didn't mind; her treasured tea deserved no less.

The warm scent of the hot tea would have rejuvenated her were she not already awake, and she breathed in the heavenly aroma contentedly. Her hands closed in on the fresh cup of her favourite thing – for Natsuki was not her favourite _thing_, but instead her favourite _person_ – and obediently brought the rim to her slightly parted lips.

It would indescribably wonderful, she decided, if every morning was like this. Shizuru could certainly think of much better, but this was more than what she had hoped for. Seating herself on the plain wooden chair, she continued to sip her tea with a serene manner. Once the cup was drained of every drop of its contents, it would be immediately refilled.

A little while later, nevertheless, Shizuru was confronted by her mistress.

"Shizuru, why was this in the corner of our room?" Natsuki glared, pointing at the item clutched in her other hand.

Shizuru smiled then, for she had said 'our'. Not 'mine', nor 'your', but 'our'. It was most pleasant for Natsuki to admit it blatantly like that, without a single shred of hesitation or awkwardness. In a way, Shizuru felt that it was an indirect representation of their close relationship.

Unwillingly withdrawing from her thoughts, in order to satisfy her half-heartedly annoyed mistress, she glanced at the object Natsuki was brandishing in her face. It was quite a nice piece of evidence she presented, actually, and Shizuru thought that it would fit Natsuki perfectly. It would be even better should she have been able to see her in it.

It was speculated that Natsuki had run a thorough investigation in the bedroom – she was devoted to her precious collection, after all, and suspicion was aroused easily when it came to Shizuru and clothing related to Natsuki, especially ones as intimate as those. Usually, the regular check-ups she conducted would come up with nothing, but her mistress her clearly found something that day.

"Ara." She replied simply, stalling for time – Natsuki might have caught her, but the game was not quite over just yet. "Natsuki's angry face – adorable!"

"Argh, Shizuru!" Natsuki roared, increasing the density of her red hue.

Shizuru giggled, pausing as she took another sip of tea.

Thirty-seven hundred and forty-seven to three.

Natsuki silently cussed.

--

"And that's what happened this morning." Natsuki recounted, looking at Mai wearily.

Mai was the person Natsuki confided in when it came to trouble in regards to Shizuru; her friend was someone whom she could trust when it came to these sorts of things. Most of the time, anyway, which was much more than could be said for anyone else she knew. Which, also, by the way, wasn't a lot of people.

"So, you say that Kaichou-san was playing with your clothing when you were asleep?" Mai frowned, taking on a skeptical expression.

"Yes." Natsuki answered, her serious look confirming what Mai had heard to be true.

"Hmm." Mai folded her arms, softly echoing what Natsuki had said. "Playing with clothes …"

In her mind, an image of Shizuru tossing articles of clothing around, diving into them, and wallowing in them formed. The thought of the Kaichou jumping into piles of clothes like a child would in a stack of autumn leaves was utterly abnormal – she was caught between grimacing and guffawing. Shaking off the prospect – as she had learnt that neither Natsuki nor Shizuru were people one could judge by first impressions – she contemplated silently.

"I don't really understand what you mean." Mai told her troubled friend, her stern face returning. "But, if you are looking at it from a dog owner's perspective, it would be good to 'tame' her."

"Tame her?" Natsuki repeated, puzzled. "Mai, it's _Shizuru_ we're talking about. She _can't_ be tamed!"

Normally, Mai would have scolded Natsuki for this sort of pessimism and given her a longwinded, strict lecture about You-Never-Know-Until-You-Try™. The flame-haired girl was practical, however, and admitted that it seemed near impossible for Shizuru to be a docile canine. Still, measurements could be taken to get closer to that unrealistic dream.

"Knowing that, I suggest you give her some obedience classes." Mai supplied, shrugging. "There's a chance that it would help."

"What." Natsuki replied blandly, an eye twitching as she pictured the obedience instructor struggling to train Shizuru without falling in love with her.

"You've spoilt her. Don't give her too much slack." Mai continued, sounding very professional indeed. "You have to learn how to assert your authority over her."

Mai hesitated, and then broke into a laughing fit. Natsuki, bossing Shizuru around? She was doubtful – she knew beforehand that that would never happen, despite the You-Never-Know-Until-You-Try™ speech she often provided. Noticing that Natsuki looked offended, she steeled herself and displayed amazing self-control by only having a huge smile on her face.

"Exactly how should I do that?" Natsuki asked grudgingly, unappreciative of Mai's sudden outburst.

"Find a personal instructor for her, I suppose." Mai's grin increased in density, threatening to spill out another round of hysterics. "One that won't try to steal either Shizuru or _you_ away from each other."

Natsuki sighed, realizing that the difficulty level of this task skyrocketed beyond any final boss stage she had ever played. It was hard to imagine that such a person would exist, let alone someone that she could contact, let alone someone that she could afford. She believed that such a well-trained individual would charge something akin to daylight robbery for their services.

"Mai!" A puerile voice sang with extreme happiness, scaring off a couple of birds in the vicinity.

The monstrous blur of black leapt from an invisible hiding spot, latching onto said girl with a ferocity that was natural for her. Laughing, the other found herself a more secure position by climbing up to sit on Mai's shoulders, hugging the taller girl's head affectionately.

"Mikoto!" Mai shrieked in surprise, nearly toppling over from the impact.

"Giving Kuga advice when you can't even control your own cat?" A familiar red-haired girl sauntered into view, smirking at Mikoto's antics and the effect they had on Mai.

"Give me strength." Natsuki groaned upon the arrival of the pair, uneasy of the fact that Nao, of all people, had heard their conversation or at least a part of it.

"A conspiracy against Fujino?" Nao grinned, wondering how much money she would get for selling the information to Shizuru. Even if the financial gain was not accepted, the Kaichou could edit her attendance report like she did with Natsuki's.

"No!" Natsuki denied hurriedly, noticing the gleam in Nao's eyes.

"Natsuki is just looking for an instructor for Fujino-san." Mai supplied absentmindedly, trying in vain to dislodge Mikoto from her head.

"Mai!" The cobalt-haired girl hissed in frustration, glaring at her friend.

"She can help." She reasoned, still distracted by the wriggling mass of energy that refused to let her go.

"I'm looking for a dog instructor, Mai. Not a rogue." Natsuki growled, although not fully certain that Nao was unable to assist her.

"Nao trains pets!" Mikoto laughed giddily as she danced upon Mai, stubbornly clinging to the older girl even as said girl tried to pry her off.

Natsuki eyed Nao with an incredulous expression slapped on her face.

"I don't exactly have Julia anymore, and Ma forbids me from those kinds of activities." Nao explained, shrugging nonchalantly, as if it were the most natural thing in the world to turn from pick pocketing to obedience training.

Natsuki nearly choked as she envisioned Nao utilizing a whip as she ordered some circus lions to leap through the flaming hoops, finding that the image actually suited her red-haired counterpart. Now that she had both her mother and her to provide for, Nao would have to get a job anyway, whether she liked it or not. Natsuki had a faint notion that she did enjoy it, though.

"I'll do it for free." Nao added tactfully, amazing everyone present by her sudden generosity while confirming Natsuki's suspicions.

Meanwhile, Nao herself was already counting how much profit she would gain from mass-producing photographs of the training sessions and selling them. Considering the number of fans both Shizuru and Natsuki had, she could easily name any ridiculously-high price and still clear her entire inventory. Not to mention that it would be interesting to view Shizuru's response to her disciplinary lessons.

"I don't think it's a good idea." Natsuki remained indecisive, fearing how her dog would react.

"Whipped." All three of the others scoffed, which surprisingly included Mikoto – she had learned many words from Nao, who was a willing teacher to convert the naïve to the 'well-informed', as she put it.

"Fine!" Natsuki assented in haste, alarmed by the fact that even Mikoto accused her of the derogatory title. "If she does anything like that _one_ more time, then I'll call on your help."

--

Shizuru crept across the flooring, the alarm on the bedside clock already disengaged the previous night. She had woken up quite a far bit later than usual, although Natsuki had not already awakened. There was still time to indulge in the pleasures of Natsuki's wardrobe, and that was enough of a motivation for Shizuru to risk it again.

Pure instinct took her to the closet doors, and she opened them one after another at an achingly slow speed, lest Natsuki woke up from the noise. Natsuki turned around in her sleep, mumbling something about mayonnaise and dogs. Shizuru smiled at the sight, finding that the erratic sleep talking only served to increase Natsuki's cute factor.

Claiming her prizes, the dog browsed through her master's clothing. Pausing every now and then to admire a select few for several minutes, she made her way through a heap of lingerie only to arrive at the second half of the collection. The fun would never end, and if she ran out of time today, she could always continue her expedition tomorrow.

Natsuki tossed to lay flat on her back again, pulling the abused sheets with her. Shizuru gave a quick glance towards her mistress, and then breathed a sigh of relief as she appeared to be still asleep. She returned to her work joyfully, nearly barking with glee as she came across some really questionable pieces of undergarments. More material for teasing Natsuki, she believed.

Just then, the thirty-six alarm clocks planted on the ceiling shrilled at an earsplitting pitch.

Well, shit.

* * *

My sporadic updates are terrible.　堪忍な!  
I was feeling a bit down because of the Shizuru-hate I stumbled across recently.

I commend anyone who still remembers the thirty-six alarm clocks from Chapter One.

**Deleted Scenes (II)**

Shizuru: Why did you take me for a walk in the park suddenly?

Natsuki: It's relaxing.

Horde of Dogs: -running towards them, barking frantically-

Dog Owner #1: Lassie, come back here!  
Dog Owner #2: Lily, stop!  
Dog Owner #3: Princess, where are you going?  
Dog Owner #4: Heel, Heather, heel!

Shizuru: Ara. -mobbed by dogs-

Natsuki: Get away from Shizuru! AND WHY ARE THEY ALL _FEMALE_?

Moral – It is _not_ relaxing to take your red-eyed goddess of a dog to the park.


End file.
